The present invention relates to a data erasure control system for a camera which is capable of forming images on a photographing film, and of capturing electronic image and storing the image data in a memory.
Conventionally, cameras capable of forming an image of an object on a photographing film, and of capturing an electronic image of an object and storing image data in a memory have been known. In such cameras, the image data stored in the memory are used to confirm the photographed pictures before the film is developed. Accordingly, such cameras are generally provided with display devices, and by displaying the images corresponding to the image data stored in the memory on the display device, the photographed pictures are confirmed.
The capacity of the memory, however, is limited. Thus, the conventional camera having the memory is constituted such that image data can be erased.
FIGS. 11 and 12 show a relationship between images on the photographing film and frames of the image data in the memory in the conventional system.
As shown in FIG. 11, images I1, I2, I3 . . . are successively formed on the film, and simultaneously with image formation on the photographing film, frames D1, D2, D3 . . . of image data corresponding to the images I1, 12, I3 . . . are stored in the memory. As long as photographing is successively performed, images are successively formed on the film and the frames of the image data are successively stored in the memory. Accordingly, the number and order of the images on the film completely correspond to the number and order of the frames of the image data in the memory.
However, when a frame of the image data, for example, frame D3, in the memory is erased, as shown in FIG. 12, the number and order of the images on the film and the frames of the image data stored in the memory do not coincide.
When such a disagreement exists, i. e., if some of the frames of the image data have been deleted, it becomes very difficult for the operator to confirm whether certain images have been formed on the photographing film by displaying the frames of the image data stored in the memory. That is, the operator may not confirm that certain pictures were photographed.
FIGS. 13 and 14 show another example of the conventional system.
As shown in the FIG. 13, when images I1, I2, I3 are formed, frames D1, D2, and D3 of the image data are stored in the memory. At this stage, in the conventional system, if the film, on which the images I1-I3 are formed, is removed from the camera and a new film is loaded, previously stored image data (i.e., frames D1, D2, D3) remain undeleted. If new images I101, I102, I103 . . . are formed on the new film, corresponding frames of image data (i.e., frames D101, D102, D103) will be stored in the memory, as shown in FIG. 14. Thus, the newly stored frames D101, D102, D103 follow the previously stored frames D1, D2, and D3. Accordingly, the number and order of the images formed on the new film do not coincide with the number and order of the frames of the image data stored in the memory.
Therefore, also in this case, it is difficult to confirm whether certain images have been formed on the photographing film by monitoring displayed images of the frames of the image data stored in the memory.